Final Reflections on Political Science

I'll take away some excellent discussions from this class. I feel as though my peers and I have made significant progress this semester in expressing ourselves and our opinions without regret or fear of judgment. That is incredibly valuable.
The major portable skill I've learned this semester is the ability to use a Mac, at least basic functions. I'm still a die-hard PC user, but I concede that the experience has broadened my computer use horizons.

Harry Reid: Racist?

Harry Reid's recent comments regarding the election of President Obama, referring to him as "light-skinned" and lacking a "negro dialect", have landed him in some seriously hot water. Political analyst Keli Goff (Huffington Post) spoke on a NPR segment to weigh in on the issue. Goff believes that Reid is not a "racist" per se, but that he likely does not interact with people of different races very often, even though he is the Senate majority leader for the Democratic party (widely considered the party which advocates for minorities). She also acknowledged the fact that Reid is of an older generation which may contribute to his use of the word "negro", commonplace prior to 1980. Goff says the problem of racial sensitivity among some Americans stems from their lack of experience with people of different races who are also their equals socially. For example, someone who claims they harbor no prejudice against Hispanics but only interacts with their Hispanic housekeeper. Goff concluded by analyzing the intent of the comment (Reid was trying to get the first black president elected) and summarizing the probable cause of his ill-chosen words: he is devoid of any "substantive understanding" of people of different races.

I largely agree with Ms. Goff's commentary, but I would like to offer up another facet of the issue that was only breifly acknowledged: the double-standard between Republicans and Democrats about race. GOP Chairman Michael Steele called for Reid to resign and asserted his opinion that if a Republican had made identical remarks, they would have essentially been ousted by public demand. I believe there is merit to this assessment. The average short-sighted voter is unaware of the fact that Republicans were the greatest advocates for minorities up until the age of FDR. Our society has a certain predisposition to accuse Republicans of being racist but not Democrats.

Ms. Goff is right in that everyone must have meaningful, equal dialogue with people of different races if we ever hope to achieve the ideal of a truly integrated, "color-blind" society.

Another Blog I'm Following - Libertarian Party Independent Political Report

Libertarian Party - Independent Political Report
This blog consists of newspaper articles, Libertarian activist web-site releases and online commentary from new organizations with a Libertarian slant. Obviously, the content is meant to reflect the views of the Libertarian party on current issues such as health care and President Obama's recent address on Afghanistan. It also includes stories that are less political in nature, but relate to the libertarian way of life like an article from the New York Times about the death of John Famularo (secretary of the National Libertarian Party) and an article entitled "How Serious is the Libertarian Party about Being Taken Seriously?". It seems relatively credible - most the the content is derived from newspapers or online news organizations. Of course, almost all of the postings pull information from sources that sympathize with Libertarian ideals and the fight against big government.

A post entitled "Libertarians opposed to new war plans for Afghanistan" reviews the content of Obama's speech and the prospect of the troop surge and "exit" strategy. The article is from LP.org (Libertarian party website) so naturally it includes quotes from Wes Benedict and William Redpath (leaders of the party) however, because the blogger chose a press release from LP.org, those are the only people interviewed. Commenters pointed out that the article conveniently omits counter arguments from other parties or even from within the Libertarian party itself. In general, Libertarians oppose war and the inevitable costs (human and monetary) it incurs, but having the coverage based solely on one viewpoint is certainly biased (as well it should be for this purpose.)

Federalism and the Terri Schiavo Case

Legally, Michael Schiavo was within his rights to remove his wife Terri's feeding tube. Florida Statutes allow for him to submit a Petition to Withdraw Life Support; he is considered the next of kin as her spouse. Judge George W. Greer was just doing exactly what he is expected to do - uphold the state Constitution to the best of his ability. The fact that the Court of Appeals confirmed Judge Greer's initial ruling, and that the Florida Supreme Court declined to even hear the case provides clear evidence that this matter was cut and dried in terms of the law.

I believe it was inappropriate for President Bush to call a special session of Congress with the intention of intervening where he clearly had no jurisdiction. According to Article 2 Section 3 of the US Constitution, the president's power to call special sessions is only on "extraordinary occasions" and he has the responsibility to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The law, according to Florida Statute 765 had already been faithfully executed by the Pinellas-Pasco's Sixth Judicial Circuit, and he chose not to heed their ruling. The executive branch has clearly overstepped its bounds when it attempts to force the US Supreme Court to hear a case it had already deemed unworthy. "Terri's Law" was a despicable attempt to void state's rights. It is in fact the Founding Father's version of federalism that ensures such things do not happen. Florida has certain powers as a state in this union that cannot be infringed by the central government.

Regarding the right-to-die debate and the nature of the federal government's authority, I do not believe that a faceless official should decide if someone's family member can continue (or not) with life support. However, the Terry Schiavo case at its core was not really about the federal government's authority to pull the plug. President Bush and his Congress were rightly censured for attempting to flout our system of checks and balances. Even after the autopsy was performed, Jeb Bush continued to hound Michael Schiavo, primarily because Schiavo had become involved with another woman and had two children during the fifteen years Terri was comatose. The law stands as it should: in the absence of a will, the spouse makes the decision between life or death. We cannot adjust for every case that comes forward.

Picture Sources:

Terri Before and After

Robert Schindler

The American Dream

The current economic situation, particularly its persistence, has created an atmosphere of apathetic fear - a dull ache every time we watch broadcast news or pick up a newspaper. The "American Dream" as we know it from birth glosses over the issues every person faces in this country today. The idealized life: house in the suburbs, green lawn, SUV, 2.7 kids, and happiness, is the exception not the rule. Materialism holds the average American in a vice grip, and when certain luxuries become unavailable or unattainable, we blame the government instead of taking responsibility for our poor decision-making.
Joan Claybrook in the PBS "Deepening the American Dream" series said: "It's time to take back America, to make it our dream, not the dream of the financial and special interests." I completely agree with this statement. Our founding fathers never intended for public policy to be dictated by power-hungry corporations and their goons; their unchecked efforts to mislead consumers caused the world-wide economic collapse.
Another aspect of today's American Dream is our involvement in and awareness of foreign governments and people. David Frum (speaking in the same PBS series) said: "Human beings have the ability to...make their own limits without resentment against others." I agree that people have the ability but I don't believe, with our current government, that people have the capability. We are severely restricted by the news media. Without transparency and tolerance, we cannot hope to reach out, citizen to citizen. If I can ever achieve that, I'll consider my personal American Dream fulfilled.

Blogs I'm Following

Fight Against the Plutocrats: A Punk Music Blog
This blog reviews punk music releases or re-releases. The author (Dirk) also includes a "wanted list" of albums he's looking for/suggesting. I like that he provides information to order copies of the music being reviewed. The author's profile says that he hails from the Netherlands, so his blog includes a wide range of punk music in various forms, not just the British and American manifestations already familiar to most fans. He provides links to his other blog, (Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll) and there we learn that Dirk recently died of cancer. His parents have been updating a separate memorial blog for him with videos of the funeral and other home movies.

At War: Notes from the Front Lines
This blog, published via the NY Times website has up-to-the-minute information about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The blog is compiled by a team of NY Times reporters, photographers and interpreters on the ground in the Middle East. Additionally, they follow news from Pakistan and "other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era."It's important that Americans don't lose focus on our government's involvement in the Middle East. It is too easy to become complacent, and that is a far greater risk to society than physical violence can ever be. One cannot question authority without the knowledge to speak with it.
As far as format is concerned, I like that it includes sidebars of reader commentary and suggestions for further reading. It also has that glossy, professional look to it that makes it easy to jump from feature to feature.